Methods and machines for making goodyear welt shoes



p 1967 s. M|LLE| 3,341,873

METHODS AND MACHINES FOR MAKING GOODYEAR WELT SHOES Filed June 3, 1965 5SheetsSheet 1 lnven for: Lloyd G. Mfi/er B y 5/5 fltornqy Sept. 19, 1967L. G. MILLER 3,341,873

METHODS AND MACHINES FOR MAKING GOODYEAR WELT SHOES Filed June 5, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 2 P 1967 L. G. MILLER 3,341,873

METHODS AND MACHINES FOR MAKING GOODYEAR WELT SHOES Filed June 5, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 3 L. G. MILLER Sept. 19, .1967

METHODS AND MACHINES FOR MAKING GOODYEAR WELT SHOES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4Filed June 3, 1965 Sept. 19, 1967 1.. G. MILLER 3,341,873

METHODS AND MACHINES FOR MAKING GOODYEAR WELT SHOES Filed June 5, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 5 t LQQGO 9 u N WR N Y United States Patent 3,341,873METHODS AND MAQHINES FOR MAKING GGODYEAR WELT SHGES Lloyd G. Miiler,Beverly, Mass assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington,N..i., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 461,057Claims. (til. 12-145) ABSTRACT 9F THE DHSCLQSURE A shoe inseam sewingmachine and method in which a lasting spur engages the upper incooperation with the awl and the needle to impart a tension heightwiseof the last during the formation of the inseam uniting the upper to arib on the insole.

This invention relates to improvements in methods and machines formaking Goodyear welt shoes and more particularly to the art ofassembling such shoes wherein a simplified step of combined sewing andlasting is successfully applicable to a wide range of shoe sizes,materials and styles without essential modification.

It has long been the desire on the part of shoe manufacturers toeliminate the use of metallic fastenings while lasting Goodyear welt andother similar types of shoes. The use of such metallic fastenings isundesirable for several reasons, amongst which are dangers of injury toa wearer of a shoe or to a machine operating on the shoe and to anoperators eyes or hands, difiiculty from walking about factory floorareas unavoidably littered with such fastenings, and interference withor damage to the cutting edges of tools coming into contact with suchfastenings.

In an eflort to avoid the use of metallic fastenings for lastingGoodyear welt shoes it has, therefore, been proposed to postpone thelasting of such shoes until that time is reached in manufacturingprocedures where a thread inseam is to be inserted as a permanentconnection between the parts of the shoe. This proposal is particularlyattractive by reason of an inherent tendency for the thread inseam topull heightwise of a last the parts including the upper of a shoeoperated upon together by means of a cumulative thread tension as theinseam progresses. However, the ordinary insearning operation issomewhat limited in its ability by itself to provide an adequate anduniform upper pulling action and accordingly attempts have been madeheretofore to use supplemental devices, such as upper gripping andlasting jaws acting on the marginal portions of the shoe uppers as thesewing devices form an inseam.

The use of upper gripping and lasting jaws to supplement the upperpulling action of the sewing devices in an inseam sewing machine isdisclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,155,438, granted Apr.25, 1939, upon application of A. R. Morrill. While lasting jaws doassist to some extent the upper pulling action of the thread, the fullbenefit of such jaws is not obtainable because of space limitations inand about the sewing point in that machine. Because of space limitationsit has always been necessary to release the grip of the jaws on themargin of an upper during each sewing cycle before each stitch istightened and set in the shoe parts. Accordingly, there is anopportunity for the marginal portions of the upper, after being releasedby the jaws, to slip back to their original untensioned positions, whereno amount of subsequent tension in the thread alone can produce thedesired lasted relation of the upper margin.

Further and more serious difiiculties in the use of upper lastinggrippers in an inseam sewing machine also appear to be unavoidable.While preparing an upper for a combined lasting and sewing operation itis necessary for best results to preform its marginal toe and heelportions and, preferably, to secure them in centered relation on a last,so that the edges of the angle opening and the vamp will be located inbalanced positions on the last. This is usually done by gatheringtogether the marginal portions of the upper at the toe and heel and bysecuring them temporarily to the insole, while leaving free marginalportions of the upper at the sides of the insole. In gathering togetherthe toe portions of the upper, particularly in the presence of a toestiffener and linings, bulky projections are produced, which interferewith the operation of upper lasting grippers. For this reason it isnecessary to trim the excess gathered marginal portions of the upperaround the toe end of the insole, but when this is done the normaloperation of a pair of supplemental upper lasting grippers must beinhibited about the toe of the shoe. Otherwise, during each downwardstroke of the grippers, while reaching for a fresh portion of the upper,they will strike the trimmed oh? and gathered edges of the upper marginforcibly, so that a proper sewing position of the shoe will be disturbedand frequently the shoe will be ejected from the machine. Because of thedanger of ejecting a shoe from the machine by being struck by upperlasting grippers, mechanism is provided in the Morrill patented machinefor rendering the lasting grippers inoperative, while sewing about thepretrimmed shoe toe. When the grippers are rendered inoperative anadditional difiiculty arises because in trimming the gathered upperprojectons on a lasted shoe toe considerable variation may occur fromone shoe to another in the extent to which the trimming has been doneand, consequently if the grippers are thrown out of operation and thenagain rendered operative, at predetermined fixed positions, thesepositions may not coincide with the actual points at which the trimminghas been started and ended. Accordingly, there will most certainly besections about the trimmed toe area of a shoe where the upper pullingaction is improperly effected. Similar difficulties are encountered insewing heel seats if a sewed-heel-seat shoe is being manufactured.

To avoid the above-noted difiiculties and to provide suitable steps forpreparing the essential parts of a Goodyear welt shoe on a last in amanner compatible with a combined inseam sewing and lasting operation,are primary purposes of the present invention, subsidiary purposes alsocomprising improvements in lasting procedures heretofore performed forpulling heightwise of a last and securing the upper of a shoe inposition while inserting an inseam. Still further objects are. to reducethe number of steps required to bring a Goodyear welt shoe upper intofinal conformity with a last on which it is mounted and to expedite theconstruction of shoes of this type wherein uppers may be secured inconforming positions on lasts more expeditiously and with the exerciseof less skill and ability on the parts of those performing the differentpreliminary steps.

In accordance with the purposes of the invention, the present methodconsists in the steps of assembling an upper on a last with the marginalportions of the upper stretched lengthwise of the last bottom, gatheringthe lasting marginal portions of the upper about at least the toe end ofan insole and securing it to the insole temporarily while leaving freethe side portions of the upper and successively sewing the free sidesand the toe end to the insole and exelting a heightwise tensioning pullon the upper at a point between each completed stitch and the positionwhere the next succeeding stitch is to be formed. In this method thefree sides and the toe end portions of the upper are sewed to the insolewith the usual continuous thread chain-stitch inseam, while imparting aheightwise pull in addition to that normally exerted on the upper marginduring sewing. By so doing the lengthwise stretching tension in theupper margin will be distributed more nearly evenly than has beenpossible heretofore throughout the inseam and the full benefit of theinseam is employed to pull the upper margin heightwise of the last.

In the preferred form of the invention the use of upper lasting grippersis avoided and the upper is pulled by a pointed lasting spur, such asthat disclosed in Patent No. 3,077,844, granted Feb. 19, 1963, uponapplication of Lloyd G. Miller, especially when equipped with a takeupand thread finger similar to that disclosed in United States LettersPatent No. 3,088,426, granted May 7, 1963, also upon application ofLloyd G. Miller. With the take-up and thread finger of Patent No.3,088,426 it is possible to apply a stronger than usual upper pullingtension to the thread and no difiiculty is encountered with interferenceby excessively wide margins of the upper with the sewing thread.

To facilitate the performance of the inseam sewing and lasting machinethe invention has for a further object to provide a machine which willmore or less overcome the likelihood of failure to detect a condition ofimproper operation in the machine and to aid the operator of the machinein displacing the shoe from the machine quickly upon the occurrence ofsuch improper operation.

A feature of the invention contributing to the attainment of this objectis derived from the use of the upper lasting spur, which so increasesthe time of engagement of the shoe with the other work penetratinginstruments in the machine that it is feasible to bridge over theinterval remaining in each sewing cycle, in which the shoe is notsupported effectively by utilizing tension in the thread for thispurpose. Under these conditions the shoe is immediately ejected byreason of its own weight or by engagement with one of the workpenetrating instruments whenever loss of tension in the thread isexperienced from any cause.

These and other features of the invention, as hereinafter described andclaimed, will readily be understood by those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed specification taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a last prepared with a ribbed insolepartly broken away and secured to its bottom surface in accordance witha preliminary step of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the same last after having a shoe upperassembled on it with the marginal portion pulled lengthwise over thelast;

FIG. 3 is a similar view illustrating the formation of the marginalportions at the toe end of the upper after being gathered together andsecured to the insole while leaving the portions of the upper at thesides of the insole free and unattached;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the upper with the marginalportions gathered together at the toe end of the last and secured to theinsole;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view looking from the left of amachine arranged for simultaneously sewing and pulling the free marginalportions of the upper with a continuous thread chainstitch inseam;

FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional plan view illustrating the manner ofsewing the inseam and simultaneously pulling the free marginal portionsof the upper;

FIG. 7 is a sectional detail view of a central part of a shoe on anenlarged scale, illustrating in side elevation the free marginalportions of an upper being pulled into lasted position;

FIG. 8 is a detail view of the shoe illustrated in FIG. 7 but taken fromthe opposite side to show the manner of pulling the upper heightwise ofthe last on which it is mounted;

FIG. 9 is a sectional detail view in right side elevation of a weltguide actuating mechanism employed in the machine for sewing and lastingin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional detail plan view on an enlarged scale of a sewingand lasting inseam being inserted in a shoe;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the shoe being sewn, taken along the lineXIXI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a sectional detail plan view of the sewing and lasting inseamat a later stage of its formation;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the shoe being sewn, taken along the lineXIII-XIII of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a time chart of operations in the combined upper sewing andpulling machine.

The shoe illustrated in the drawings is of the Goodyear welt type and isprepared for its fundamental inseam sewing and upper pulling heightwiseof a last on which the shoe is supported by no more than four essentialpreliminary steps, namely:

(1) The provision of a last having mounted on its bottom a ribbedinsole,

(2) Assembling and pulling-over the last marginal portions of an upperto stretch it lengthwise of the last, and

(3 and 4) Toe and heel preforming and lasting by gathering and pleatingthose marginal portions only. Combined inseam sewing and upper pullingoperations are performed by the machine of Patent No. 3,077,844,modified somewhat to accomplish the desired results in accommodationwith the preliminary steps.

Heretofore, attempts have been made to combine inseam sewing and upperpulling transversely to the line of the inseam in a compatible methodfor making Goodyear welt shoes. These attcmpts have usually centeredabout the use of supplementary upper pulling grippers incorporated intothe construction of a Goodyear welt inseam sewing machine. The use ofupper pulling grippers in an inseam sewing machine is fundamentallyinconsistent with the inseam sewing because of the inherent bulkiness ofsuch grippers and the lack of available space in which to mount them forproper operation.

Furthermore, in lasting a shoe upper the marginal portions of the upperaround the toe and heel require gathering and pleating in a uniformmanner in order to conform the upper with a last on which the shoe partsare assembled and to attach a welt and the upper to the lip or rib ofthe insole. Upper engaging grippers are unable to accomplish suchgathering and pleating action consistently on the marginal portions ofthe upper because the pleats at the toe and heel increase the effectivethickness of the upper. If the toe and heel are prelasted beforeinserting an inseam, then the upper thickness already is increased andthe grippers are unable to be opened sufficiently to receive and gripsecurely the pleated portions of the upper.

For proper toe and heel lasting operations it is necessary to grip andpull not only the upper but the lining and heavy stiffening or countermaterials ordinarily combined with these portions of the upper, so thatany lasting grippers heretofore capable of use in an inseam sewingmachine are inadequate to comply with requirements for upper pullingabout the toe and heel of a shoe. Attempts to avoid this difiiculty byrendering the upper engaging grippers inoperative under manual controlabout the toe and heel portions of a shoe impose too heavy a burden onthe skill of a machine operator and no fully successful automaticmechanism has thus far been developed for relieving the operator of thisburden.

It has been found that with the machine of inventors prior patent themarginal portions of the toe and heel of a shoe upper may be prelastedand then the entire upper may be sewn and pulled with a tension directedheightwise of a last on which the upper is mounted, progressivelywithout interruption from one unlasted side to the lasted portion at thetoe and from the lasted portion of the toe to the other un'iasted sidewithout affecting adversely the uniformity of heightwise pull applied tothe upper, whether the upper after being gathered and pleated is alreadyattached to the insole or not, and no attention is necessary on the partof the operator to change the manner of presenting the shoe to themachine between different lasted and unlasted portions of the uppermargin. This is because the machine of inventors prior patent, insteadof utilizing upper grippers to provide the supplementary pulling action,depends upon a spur acting to penetrate the upper margin to theexclusion of the other parts of the shoe, directly above the sewing ribon the insole to pull the upper. Thereafter, while the spur retains itspenetrating position in the upper a stitch is formed and then the upperis pulled further by the inseam by reason of thread tension into afirmly lasted position. With additional modifications in the priormachine the upper pulling spur may be lowered somewhat closer to theneedle to enhance the upper pulling action of the thread and to increasethe flexibility of the resulting shoe. Also, the spur may act on theupper margin without regard to its gathered and pleated condition alongthe toe and heel in the same manner as along the side of the uppermargin. Thus, the supplemental pulling action does not interfere withthe sewing and is able to release its pull on the upper after eachstitch is formed and to reapply its pull before that stitch is tightenedwith a stitch setting tension.

The improvement in supplemental upper pulling and the increased shoeflexibility result from the use of the spur, illustrated at in theaccompanying drawings, on a sewing rib 12 of the insole, indicated at 14in FIGS. 5, 7 and 11. The insole is mounted on the bottom surface of thelast, shown at 16, about which the upper including a lining andstiffeners, indicated at 18, is assembled by the pulling-over operation.

To improve consistently the action of the inseam thread in pulling theupper heightwise and to render the resulting shoe more flexible than hasbeen possible heretofore, the adjusted position of the spur point issuch that it exerts its pull at a point between each completed stitchand the position where the next succeeding stitch is to be formed. Inentering the upper it grazes the outer corner of the sewing rib 12 onthe insole without penetrating it and depresses it away from aperpendicularly upright position, which it ordinarily assumes on theinsole (FIG. 1) to an inclined position leaning toward the middle of theinsole (FIG. 13). Also, because the upper is pressed into an inclinedposition by the spur against the upper edge of the sewing rib, the upperbeing deformed somewhat into tangency with the spur, the penetratingmovement of the spur improves the pulling action on the upper to takeout any looseness on the last. After penetrating the upper the spurdepresses the rib 12 by direct engagement with it and holds it fromreturning to its upright position until after each stitch is tightenedwith a stitch setting tension. This inclined position of the rib is thusretained and increased during insertion of the seam, as will be apparentfrom a comparison between the positions of the parts shown in FIGS. 1and 13. The inclination of the rib further improves insertion of aninseam comprising a single thread chainstitch, the single thread portionbeing firmly embedded in the channel formed by the rib at the lowestpossible position. In this way the tension of the single thread intightening the inseam has little or no tendency to draw the rib backinto its upright position. Because the insole rib has now assumed aninclined position its stilfening effect on the insole also is greatlyreduced, so that the entire shoe construction is substantially moreflexible than is found in constructions in which the rib retains itsperpendicular position. In addition the spur strikes into the upper andother combined upper parts just above the welt, indicated at 19 to raisethem heightwise to their highest possible positions.

Considering further the preliminary steps for preparing the shoe partsfor the combined sewing and lasting operations;

1) The manner of mounting the insole 14 on the bottom of the last 16 isillustrated in FIG. 1, with the outer edge of the insole registeringwith or set back slightly from a line 20 forming a break between thebottom and side surfaces of the last. To secure the insole in position anumber of tacks 22 are driven into the last through the insole.

(2) For assembling the upper with the insole on the last, the last isinserted within the upper and is presented to a pulling-over machinehaving grippers at the toe end and sides, by which the upper istensioned lengthwise over the last and is adjusted for proper centeringaround the ankle opening relatively to the last bottom, seven tacks 24being driven part way through the upper and into the last to hold thelengthwise tension in the upper for further operations. Two of the tacks24 are driven at the heel end of the upper, one at the toe end and apair at the sides of the upper near the toe by a machine more fullydisclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,758,324, granted Apr.14, 1956 upon application of F. E. Stratton et al.

(3) The toe preforming and lasting operation is accomplished on a powerdriven toe lasting machine, as shown in United States Letters Patent No.2,926,367, granted Feb. 14, 1957, upon an application of Andrew J.Gilbride et al. and No. 2,980,931, granted Apr. 25, 1961 uponapplication of Andrew J. Gilbride.

(4) For preforming and lasting the heel end of the shoe, a heel seatlasting machine such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.2,656,552, granted Oct. 27, 1953 upon application of Ernest L. Butler etal. may be used, especially if the shoe being constructed is of thesewed-heel-seat type. If the shoe is sewed only from heel breast to heelbreast, the heel is flat lasted and the same machine may be utilized bytrimming ofi any upstanding portion of the upper, counter and lining.

To assist in retaining the sides of the upper firmly in position againstpossible displacement during the succeeding sewing and upper pullingoperation, it may be desirable to secure temporarily the upper to theinsole rib at two auxiliary points 26, which are illustrated in FIG. 3by staples inserted near the edge of the sewing rib on the insole. Thesestaples may be inserted by auxiliary stapling devices during the toelasting operation and such devices are easily applied to the machines ofthe Butler et a1. patent.

While the invention is illustrated as utilizing staples for theauxiliary points of upper attachment and tacks to hold the uppertemporarily in preformed position on the last, these staples and tacksare shown merely for easy illustration. The pulling-over tacks would beremoved in the next succeeding toe and heel prelasting operations on theshoe. Also, it is preferable to dispense entirely with the use ofmetallic staples and tacks and to employ pressure sensitive or otherconvenient form of synthetic adhesive for this purpose, application ofadhesive at designated areas being less susceptible to convenientillustration than designations of tacks or staples.

In pulling over an upper surrounding a last, as in step (2) and as shownin FIG. 2, a heavy tension is applied to the marginal portions of theupper lengthwise of the insole and last. The excess length of the upperis taken up primarily at the toe end. Fullness of the upper at the toeend and to some extent at the heel end is absorbed in forming ears 28protruding outwardly beyond the toe and the double side tacks 24 assistthe single toe tack in holding the upper at a balanced position on thelast, these tacks also enlarging the projection of the ears 28. At theheel end of the upper there is less tendency for the formation of ears,the upper being held more firmly against the heel end of the last andcurving less abruptly than at the toe. This is the form the upperassumes after the pulling over operation.

The pulling over points of attachment may well comprise spotapplications of thermoplastic cement where freedom from metallicfasteners is desired. If spots of cement are employed for the auxiliarypoints of attachment, they are deposited on the projecting shoulder ofthe insole outside the rib, rather than directly on the rib, for bestresults. Such applications of cement have the additional advantage offracturing upon exertion of further heightwise pull on the upper duringlasting to free the upper for change in position under pulling force.

In preforming lasting the toe and heel ends of the shoe, the fullness ofthe ears in the upper, stiffener and lining are redistributed by beinggathered and pleated in the form shown in FIG. 3. At the toe, thegathering and pleating action is more pronounced where the toe ispointed. At the heel end of the shoe, the gathering and pleating is notso pronounced, except with a sewed-heelseat shoe.

Ordinarily the gathered and pleated upper with stiffeners and linings atthe toe and heel ends of the shoe form stiff projections 30. Theseprojections have always offered impediments to further operation on theshoe, so that it has previously been the practice to trim theseprojections along a dot-dash line 32, shown in FIG. 4, any similarprojections at the heel end of a sewed-heel-seat shoe usually beingtrimmed or flattened by wiper plates to prevent interference with stitchforming devices while inserting an inseam in the shoe. Because thesewing machine utilized in the present invention is modified inaccordance with Patent No. 3,077,844, a much greater clearance space isprovided in sewing a shoe than is available in other prior sewing andlasting machines. Also, it is helpful to increase the radius ofcurvature of the work penetrating instruments in the machine a fractionof an inch more than in the machine of Patent No. 3,077,844 to improvefurther the clearances for the pleated upper projections.

The sewing machine utilized to combine the sewing and side lastingoperations in the practice of the present invention is provided with acurved hook needle 34 and a curved awl 36 having a substantially greaterradius of curvature than the needle but having its path of curvaturetangent with that of the needle along the lowest portions of their pathswhich intersect the shoe. Cooperating with the needle in forming theinseam are other devices acting in successive sewing cycles andincluding a looper 38 for laying thread in the hook of the needle afterpenetrating the shoe, a thread finger 39 for supplying thread betweenthe last formed stitch and the needle as the threaded needle is beingretracted from the work, a take-up 40 to tighten each stitch with asetting tension, and a frictional thread tension wheel (not shown). Tomaintain the shoe in operating position it is held bottom side upagainst the lower surface of a channel guide 41 at all times duringsewing. All of the ewing devices are connected to mechanisms driven by amain sewing shaft 42 (FIG. 9).

These sewing devices are arranged and actuated to secure a continuousand even feed of the work operated upon, the needle and channel guidebeing mounted on a feed slide to move together in the line of the seamwhile the awl is mounted on a second slide to enable alternating andoverlapping feeding movements to be imparted to the shoe, as disclosedmore fully in United States Letters Patent No. 1,971,575, granted Aug.28, 1934 upon application of A. R. Morrill and No. 3,005,323, grantedSept. 25, 1962 upon application of Lloyd G. Miller.

In starting a new seam the end of the thread is held between a pair ofjaws 43 to insure proper formation of the first stitch in the seam. Tostiffen the needle against excessive bending, it passes through a needleguide 44 mounted for oscillating movement on a stud 46 also forming apivot about which the needle oscillates. The upper pulling spur isclamped to the needle guide 44 and is moved by the guide during itspenetrating movement to enter the shoe upper and lining before theneedle does, and to remain in engagement with the upper until after theneedle withdraws to exert suflicient preliminary heightwise pull on theupper as it is penetrated by the spur to force it against the sewing rib12. To reduce to a minimum any lack in the parts while penetrating theupper the spur engages the outer corner of the rib and bends it towardthe middle of the insole. The spur has a further advantage in that itenters the upper of a shoe before the needle and withdraws afterwards,so that the amount of time in which the shoe is supported firmly inposition by a work penetrating instrument is substantially greater thanotherwise would be. During certain portions of the sewing cycle the shoeis supported in the machine by the needle 34, awl 36 and pulling spur 10together (FIG. 6) so that a substantially greater support is providedfor the shoe and much less strain is imparted to the work penetratinginstruments. Consequently the needle is subjected to substantially lessstress than usual and seldom requires replacement.

The mechanism for actuating the upper pulling spur 10 is the same asthat employed in the machine of inventors Patent No. 3,077,844. The spurbeing mounted on the needle guide is actuated indirectly from theneedle. As the needle is moved toward the shoe the spur engages theupper before the needle enters the welt. This is insured in the presentmachine by lengthening the spur as much as possible without interferingwith the feed of the shoe. The spur after penetrating the upper remainsstationary but moves in the direction of feed with the needle as theneedle continues to move into the shoe parts, the spur remaining in theupper until after the needle has fully withdrawn with a loop of threadfor the next succeeding stitch. As shown in the 3,077,844 patent thespur and needle guide actuating mechanism consists primarily of alocking ball 47 slidingly mounted in the needle guide between recessesin a segment 48 to which the needle 34 is clamped and a relativelystationary member 45 surrounding the needle stud.

After withdrawing from the upper the pull on the upper is reapplied atthe opposite side of the stitch formed during its first pull before thatstitch is tightened with a stitch setting tension. The pull accordinglyis available for each stitch until after that stitch is set.

Referring to the time chart shown in FIG. 14, the curves labeled Needle,Awl, and Lasting Spur show that the needle 34 penetrates the upper ofthe shoe at a cross mark 49, at about the 37 position in each sewingcycle, and is disengaged from the shoe at a cross mark 50, or 210 in thesewing cycle. Before the needle becomes disengaged from the shoe, theawl 36 penetrates it at a cross mark 52, or about the point in thesewing cycle, and is disengaged from the shoe at the cross mark 54, orabout a 350 time in the sewing cycle. The lasting spur 10 being securedto the needle guide 44, the length of time during which the workpenetrating instruments engage and support the shoe is increased byapproximately 18 beginning at the 19 position of the time chart, asshown by a cross mark 56. During this additional 1 8 between the crossmark 56 for the Lasting Spur curve and the cross mark 49 of the Needlecurve, the shoe is held supported securely in a raised position with theinsole pressing upwardly against the channel guide 41, and the upperengaging a welt guide 57 (see FIGS. 5 and 9) without any special efforton the part of the operator. The lasting spur disengages the work ineach sewing cycle at a 240 time, as indicated by the cross mark 58 onthe Lasting Spur curve. In this way, one or another, and at times allthree of the work penetrating instruments, as in FIGS. 7 and 8, engagethe shoe to hold it in position against the channel and welt guides,leaving the shoe supported by a penetrating instrument throughout eachsewing cycle, except for a very short interval where the machineordinarily comes to rest and a sewn shoe is removed and replaced by anew shoe to be sewn. This interval is between the 350 time in each cyclewhere the awl disengages the work at the cross mark 54, and the 19"position at the cross mark 56 where the lasting spur again engages theshoe. Between these positions the machine is arranged to sup- 9 port theshoe adequately by tension in the sewing thread produced by timedrelationships between the operation of the sewing devices.

To support the shoe by sewing thread tension while no work penetratinginstrument engages the shoe (350 to 19), the threaded needle 34, afterhaving withdrawn from the work with a thread loop in its hook, tightensthe single thread portion of a loop 60 running to each last formedstitch. During this time, a back feeding movement is imparted to theneedle, as illustrated by the curve Needle Feed of FIG. 14, increasingstill further tension in the thread. During this time, the awl also isengaging and feeding the shoe, and the channel guide has squeezed thework by rearward movement against the pressure of the locked welt guide,as illustrated in the curves Channel Guide and Welt Guide Lock. Thus,the thread tensioning movement of the needle is rendered effective inpartly tightening the loop 60.

The extent to which the threaded needle retracts from the work isindicated by a comparison between the Needle curve and the Take-Upcurve. It is apparent from these curves that the take-up stops giving upthread at approximately 215 and the needle continues to tension thethread loop 60 until the 260 position in the cycle is reached. At thistime the welt guide is securely locked by mechanism shown in FIG. 9 andthe channel guide is in a rearward work squeezing position. Thus, thethread between the needle and the take-up is less than that required bythe needle and the tension on the thread is increased while the shoe isheld securely from upward movement. Thereafter, there is a dip in theneedle poistion to prevent retarding the feed of the shoe by reason ofthread tension, as shown between the 295 and the 340 points in theNeedle curve, the thread still being held in tightened condition by theneedle. It is this relation of the parts and of the thread which ismaintained during the interval between the 350 and 19 positions of themachine.

In prior machines, including that disclosed in Patent No. 3,077,844, itis necessary for an operator to present a shoe to the machine, toforcibly raise the shoe and to hold its insole forcibly against thechannel guide during insertion of an inseam, thus imposing a continuouseffort on the operator and adding to the fatigue encountered duringcontinuous use of the machine. On account of the addition of the spur 10and the improvement in timed relation of the operating parts, asindicated by the time chart of FIG. 14, in the machine of the presentinvention, it has been found to be unnecessary for an operator tocontinue holding the shoe forcibly with an upward pressure against thechannel guide. The machine itself now holds the shoe in sewing positioneffectively without any appreciable effort on the part of the operatorexcept for a minimum guiding force throughout a normal operation on ashoe. Furthermore, less attention is required to be given by theoperator for an improper operation on the shoe resulting in loss ofthread tension or thread breakage.

This feature of the present invention enables an operator to present ashoe with minimum effort and attention to the sewing point in themachine and whenever loss of thread tension or thread breakage occurs,the shoe is released, so that it falls by gravity or may be ejected byone of the work penetrating instruments from the operating point in themachine, providing a positive signal for the operator to stop themachine. Furthermore, the ability for quick disengagement of the shoefrom the point of operation in the machine and stopping the machinewithout delay by seam of which has been discontinued prematurely as thestitches or otherwise unnecessarily damaged parts of the shoe. For thisreason, it is easier to repair shoes, the inthe operator, eliminatesinsertion of improperly formed result of improper machine operation.

To improve the preliminary pulling action of the spur 10 as itpenetrates the upper, stiffener and lining, its sharpened end is formedwith a chisel edge 62 (FIG. 11) having a bevel providing an acute anglewith the upper. As the point of the spur penetrates the upper parts, thebevel surface aids in tensioning them and exerts pressure on them todisplace them from their perpendicular relation to the insole. Theneedle then penetrates the welt upper and lining and has the thread laidin its hook by the looper 38, a short length of thread between the lastformed stitch and the looper having been measured by the thread finger39, as shown by the Thread Finger curve in FIG. 14. The looper 38 movesin accordance with the Looper curve in that figure. In both the Looperand Take-Up curves certain significant relations in small scale viewsare shown between the looper, thread finger, and the end of the needleto assist in understanding the looping operation.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 10 to 13, inclusive, the upperpulling action of the thread will more readily be appreciated. Generallyspeaking, the insertion of a chainstitch is a two-step operation, first,the drawing of a loop through the work to form a stitch, and second, thedrawing of a second loop through the work, also enchaining the secondloop through the first loop. In a machine employing a hook needle, theneedle ordinarily is retracted from the work a sufiicient distance totighten the single thread portion of the seam against the opposite sideof the work. Each loop carried through the work by the needle at thedouble thread or chain side of the seam then is tightened applying astitch setting strain to the previously enchained loop passing throughit. In this way, the loop tightening action on the seam is accomplishedby cumulatively applied tension increasing along the seam successivelyand with adequate amount of thread movement from each stitch to theprevious one, sometimes to the third or fourth loop previously formed toinsure full tightening action. The final tightening action on a seriesof enchained loops froming the inseam may result from several shortmovements of the thread, first in one direction to tighten the loops,and then in the other direction to loosen them as the tension may berelaxed, each relaxing movement becoming progressively shorter untilequilibrium between friction and loosening is reached with the desiredstitch setting tension.

It is for these reasons that the use of an upper pulling spur in achainstitch inseam sewing machine has been found most practical becauseit is possible to pull the upper twice at opposite sides of each stitch,both at the positions where a stitch is being formed and where thatstitch is being tightened with a setting tension. One pull is exerted onthe upper at one side of each stitch as the needle penetrates andretracts from the parts with a loop of thread and the other pull at theother side of the same stitch is exerted as that stitch is beingtightened with a stitch setting tension.

Upper pulling grippers can not operate in such close proximity to thesewing devices as is possible with a spur. Thus, the only effect ofupper pulling grippers in prior machines has been to present the upperto the sewing point in tensioned relation. The grippers then arerequired by reason of space limitations to release the upper, causingthe full strain of the tensioned upper to be applied to the sewingdevices, including the needle.

In the present method utilizing an upper pulling spur no difficulty isencountered in exerting a preliminary tension on the upper heightwise ofthe last on which the upper is mounted and exerted at a point betweenthe last formed stitch in a seam and the position where the nextsucceeding stitch is to be formed. In so doing the upper tensioning pullholds the upper at the position where each succeeding stitch is to beformed and also assists the previously completely formed stitch to pullthe upper still further with a cumulative tightening action.Accordingly, the marginal portion of the upper may not be drawnimmediately into snug engagement with the sewing rib at the position,for instance, where the loop 60 of the last formed stitch intersects theparts, the awl 36 applying the only force tending to hold the upperagainst the sewing rib. However, the parts being operated upon olTermore resistance to deflection than can be overcome readily by the awl sothat the awl is either deflected or the shoe is distorted. Therefore,the loop 60 does not fully tighten the previous stitch and does not drawthe upper and insole securely together, there being a gap 64 betweenthem. It is only after the needle 34 again penetrates the shoe as shownin FIG. 12 that the loop 60 of the last formed stitch is drawn snuglywith a stitch setting tension into position against the welt, so thatthe parts are pressed firmly together without leaving any gap 64.

The thread tension exerted to draw the parts firmly together is appliedby the take-up in retracting the thread in the loop 60, the loop slidingabout the needle as it would about a pulley in tightening that loop.Tightening the thread in loop 60 also applies a tightening action toeach previously formed loop 66 to increase tension in the previouslyformed loop. It is in this manner that cumulative tightening action isapplied to the doubled thread onthe chain side of the seam.

Under these conditions the spur is able by assisting in the support ofthe upper margin against release from its previously held position tocause the upper and welt to be drawn upwardly over the shoulder of theinsole from the positions of FIG. 11 to those of FIG. 13, so that theupper and lining are made to conform closely with the angle between ashoulder 68 on the insole and the rib 12, as indicated in FIG. 13. Thisoccurs while the spur 10 still engages the upper and lining and mayintroduce a temporary horizontal fullness Wrinkle 70 into the upperbetween the threads passing through the parts and the spur. Suchfullness wrinkle, however, is not detrimental to the firm attachment ofthe parts, but may serve to depress the sewing rib 12 into a furtherinclined position (FIG. 13) or merely to compress the upper and liningheightwise of the last above the threads in the seam to the same extentas it is stretched over the last below the seam.

After the spur has been retracted the margin of the upper of the seam ispermitted to straighten out from wrinkled condition and accordingly thesurplus is permitted to expand as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, so that themarginal portion of the upper projects upwardly higher than it didbefore being penetrated by the spur. In this way the spacings betweenperforations 72 formed by the spur and the sewing rib 12 at the innerside of the upper and lining (FIG. 7) are greater than they were before,Also, these perforations are raised above the edge of the welt 19 andare readily visible at the outer side of the shoe, as shown in FIG. 8.

After the inseam has been inserted and the upper pulled into lastedrelation with the insole, as described, the inseam may be trimmed in theusual way without encountering any metallic fasteners, so that the edgeof the trimming knife is not subject to nicking or dulling actionordinarily encountered by such metallic fastenings. Furthermore, thewelt and upper are brought reliably into compact relationship with theinsole in a manner not heretofore obtainable. The resulting shoe is notonly more flexible, as has been explained above, but also is moredurable and less susceptible to deterioration from entry of foreignmaterials through a loose fitting jloint along the essential inseam.

The nature and scope of the invention and exemplary procedures by whichthe invention may be practiced together with an improved machine, havingbeen described, what is claimed is:

1. A method of making shoes, comprising the steps of providing a lastwith an insole secured to its bottom,

assembling an upper on the last with the marginal portions stretchedlengthwise of the last bottom,

forming the marginal portions of the upper at the toe end by gatheringthem together and securing them while leaving portions of the upper freeat the sides of the last,

sewing the free sides and the toe end portions to the insole with acontinuous thread inseam and while sewing the free sides imparting tothe upper a pull directed heightwise of the last applied twice duringeach sewing cycle and exerted at points on the upper between stitchholes.

'2. A method of making shoes, as in claim 1, in which the pull on theupper is released after each stitch is formed and reapplied before thatstitch is tightened with a stitch setting tension.

3. A method of making Goodyear welt shoes, comprising the steps ofproviding a last having a ribbed insole secured to its bottom,

assembling an upper on the last with the marginal portions of the upperstretched lenghtwise of the last bottom,

forming the marginal portions of the upper at the toe end by gatheringthem together and securing them to the insole, while leaving freeportions of the upper at the sides of the insole,

sewing the free side and toe portions to the insole rib with acontinuous thread chainstitch inseam and while sewing the free sideportions imparting to the upper at points between stitch holes a pullapplied twice during each sewing cycle directed heightwise of the lastto confirm the upper with the last.

4. A method of making shoes, as in claim 3, in which heightwise pull isexerted by an upper engaging spur, acting to penetrate the upper, oncebefore each stitch in the seam is inserted and once before the insertedstitch is tightened with a setting tension.

5. A method of making Goodyear welt shoes, comprising the provision of alast having a ribbed insole secured to its bottom,

assembling an upper on the last with the marginal portions of the upperstretched lengthwise of the last bottom,

conforming the marginal portions of the upper at the toe end of the lastwhile leaving free portions of the upper at the sides of the insole, and

sewing the free side and toe portions to the insole rib with acontinuous thread chainstitch inseam while imparting to the uppersuccessive pulls heightwise of the last,

one pull being exerted transversely to the line of the inseam at oneside of each stitch as that stitch is being inserted and the other pullbeing exerted transversely to the line of the inseam at the other sideof the same stitch as that stitch is being tightened with a settingtension.

6. A shoe inseam sewing machine, having a curved hook work penetratingneedle acting to draw loops of thread through parts of a shoe presentedin bottom up position and to enchain the loops with each other,

a curved work penetrating awl,

both the needle and the awl being mounted for swinging movement inarcuate paths tangent to each other along their lower portions forengagement with the shoe,

a curved work penetrating spur acting with the needle and awlsuccessively in repeated cycles of operation to engage and to supportthe shoe against removal from the machine, except fora short intervalduring each sewing cycle in which all of said penetrating instrumentsare disengaged,

a take-up cooperating with the needle for applying a tension to thethread during said interval to support the shoe while disengaged by thepenetrating instruments and to enable the shoe to be freed fordisplacement from the paths of the penetrating instruments whenever thetension on the thread is lost.

7. A shoe inseam sewing machine, as in claim 6, in

which all of the work penetrating instruments engage the work 1 3 1 4together at a certain portion of each sewing cycle.- the shoe includesan upper, an insole mounted on a last 8. A shoe sewing machine, as inclaim 6, in which and awelt guided into the inseam, the tension in thethread during the interval of disenthe spur is arranged to penetrate theupper to the exclugagement by the penetrating instruments is appliedsion of the insole and welt, and While a loop of thread is retained inthe hook of the 5 the needle and awl penetrate all three parts of theshoe. 9 ig il h 1 8 References Cited 0 Whi.ch s oe mseam sewin mac me,as in 6 mm 1n UNITED STATES PATENTS the tension in the thread is appliedby the needle after 1,570,067 1/1926 Chapelle 12-145 disengagement fromthe shoe while the take-up re- 10 1,966,479 7/1934 Bales 12 9'1 mainsstationary 3,077,844 2/1963 Mlller 112-35 10. A shoe inseam sewingmachine, as in claim 6, in 3130430 4/1964 Kambonan 12 145 which PATRICKD. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF MAKING SHOES, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A LASTWITH AN INSOLE SECURED TO ITS BOTTOM, ASSEMBLING AN UPPER ON THE LASTWITH THE MARGINAL PORTIONS STRETCHED LENGTHWISE OF THE LAST BOTTOM,FORMING THE MARGINAL PORTIONS OF THE UPPER AT THE TOE END BY GATHERINGTHEM TOGETHER AND SECURING THEM WHILE LEAVING PORTIONS OF THE UPPER FREEAT THE SIDES OF THE LAST, SEWING THE FREE SIDES AND THE TOE END PORTIONSTO THE INSOLE WITH A CONTINUOUS THREAD INSEAM AND WHILE SEWING THE FREESIDES IMPARTING TO THE UPPER A PULL DIRECTED HEIGHTWISE OF THE LASTAPPLIED TWICE DURING EACH SEWING CYCLE AND EXERTED AT POINTS ON THEUPPER BETWEEN STITCH HOLES.